I do not find that the essential tremors affect my sleep. I also have restless leg syndrome which is another diagnosis that may or may not be related to my essential tremors. I have had RLS since I was a child, way before I even knew what it is called. It is also an internal phenomena that is difficult to describe unless you have ever had it. RLS creates an intense urge to move my legs to find comfort. I do not have it every night, but it seems to come in waves. I may have it for a week straight before it subsides until the next episode. It mainly happens at night, although I also have it sometimes when I sit in a meeting, or church, or standing in line at the grocery store. I find that leg exercises sometimes helps with that.
Our bodies are complicated pieces of equipment. Sometimes I have to give up on trying to find out why I am experiencing certain challenges, and just go straight for learning to cope with diet, exercise, or medication as a last resort. At this time, I am not on any medication for my essential tremors or my RLS.
Just as a side note, my 45 year old son also has RLS. His is even worse than mine, and he frequently has difficulty sleeping.
I have needed to keep my ferritin level over 75 which requires me to use iron supplement Last year I had an intravenous Iron drip to boost my ferritin level. RLs sleep issues helped by adequate ferritin Have had mild RLS 30 yrs. Now also use Neupro patch 2 MG to control RLS all day instead of Gabapentin and Ropinerole. I patch a day gives my legs peace. Former neuros just kept prescribing more drugs as my body became acclimated. Patch also used at higher doses to treat Parkinsons. May need to connect with neuro who specializes in movement disorders.
I have needed to keep my ferritin level over 75 which requires me to use iron supplement Last year I had an intravenous Iron drip to boost my ferritin level. RLs sleep issues helped by adequate ferritin Have had mild RLS 30 yrs. Now also use Neupro patch 2 MG to control RLS all day instead of Gabapentin and Ropinerole. I patch a day gives my legs peace. Former neuros just kept prescribing more drugs as my body became acclimated. Patch also used at higher doses to treat Parkinsons. May need to connect with neuro who specializes in movement disorders.
Thank you, I may approach my PCP about that. I have had restless leg since I was a child, although we did not have a label for it then. I take Magnesium and vitamin E right before bed, so it does not keep me awake often. It seems to come in spurts. I may have it for a few days, then it will taper off, sometimes for weeks before I have another round.
I also occasionally get leg cramps which severely interrupts my sleep when it happens.
My essential tremor is constant so I do not believe it is tied to my RLS.
All things considered, I am surprised I sleep as well as I do.
At least I am not in constant pain as many other folks on these forums are. I am very blessed.
Neuro pain like my foot neuropathy often respond well to new treatments like SCS or Patches I am using. Stay tuned to others who have similar issues on this Connect. Find many helpful suggestions by sharing issues and read what is working for others.
My mother suffered with severe essential tremors and now my sister, brothers and myself all have them. My two sons also are seeing the beginnings of the tremors in their hands. My sister has them in her hands and legs, I have them in my hands and head and my brothers have them in their hands. My mother's got so bad that she had to have a caregiver there to feed her because she couldn't keep food on a spoon or fork and she couldn't hold a cup or a glass. She could no longer read and finally it became hard for her to even watch television because the tremors were so severe. I am on three medications for the tremors and it seems to be helping but if I start to get as bad as my mother I would actually consider the brain surgery to control the tremors. There is a movement disorder clinic within three miles from my house with several specialists so I feel comfortable that I am getting the best care available at this time. At least this is a benign condition and is not terminal and for that I am very grateful.
I was diagnosed with essential tremor in 2018. Since then I have taken gabapentin (which did not help), primidone (which helps some), and a cala trio bracelet (which has helped the most). My tremors are mild, but does cause me problems in doing many things, such as brushing my teeth, using a hot curling iron to do my hair, buttoning clothes, clipping my nails, many other things. Due to the mildness of my tremors, I am adjusting. The cala trio bracelet seems to calm the shakes, I use it 3-4 times per day. I currently take 2 100 MG tablets of primidone daily, at night since it does make me sleepy. The cala trio bracelet has adjustments on it from 75 to 700, am currently using it in the 450 range. An electrical shock can be felt as it travels into my thumb and hand area. If my tremors do not increase significantly in the coming years, I can life with them.
I have had familial essential tremor for years. My mother and two aunts had it. Two of my cousins have it. It is becoming worse as I age, and I had a neurological visit about a month ago to rule out any other conditions. He offered a couple of medication options which I declined at this time. I can revisit those options later if it becomes totally unmanageable.
The main times that I experience it is when I am task focused such as writing, putting on makeup, fastening jewelry, or at times my voice shakes when I speak for long periods of time. It is mostly my head and hands that shake, although at times it feels like I am shaking internally. It can be very frustrating and aggravating, but it is not terminal so I just deal with it.
I've had it since I was in my 40's and it is frustrating but I'm like you I could have many worse health problems. I am very social and when I have to eat out it can be embarrassing because eating with silverware can be a challenge. Some might not approve of this but I take a strong drink of alcohol prior to dinner and by the time the food comes I'm fine to eat soup or anything else. There are just so many side affects from the meds I don't want to have to take them till I absolutely have to.
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I have needed to keep my ferritin level over 75 which requires me to use iron supplement Last year I had an intravenous Iron drip to boost my ferritin level. RLs sleep issues helped by adequate ferritin Have had mild RLS 30 yrs. Now also use Neupro patch 2 MG to control RLS all day instead of Gabapentin and Ropinerole. I patch a day gives my legs peace. Former neuros just kept prescribing more drugs as my body became acclimated. Patch also used at higher doses to treat Parkinsons. May need to connect with neuro who specializes in movement disorders.
Thank you, I may approach my PCP about that. I have had restless leg since I was a child, although we did not have a label for it then. I take Magnesium and vitamin E right before bed, so it does not keep me awake often. It seems to come in spurts. I may have it for a few days, then it will taper off, sometimes for weeks before I have another round.
I also occasionally get leg cramps which severely interrupts my sleep when it happens.
My essential tremor is constant so I do not believe it is tied to my RLS.
All things considered, I am surprised I sleep as well as I do.
At least I am not in constant pain as many other folks on these forums are. I am very blessed.
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1 ReactionNeuro pain like my foot neuropathy often respond well to new treatments like SCS or Patches I am using. Stay tuned to others who have similar issues on this Connect. Find many helpful suggestions by sharing issues and read what is working for others.
My mother suffered with severe essential tremors and now my sister, brothers and myself all have them. My two sons also are seeing the beginnings of the tremors in their hands. My sister has them in her hands and legs, I have them in my hands and head and my brothers have them in their hands. My mother's got so bad that she had to have a caregiver there to feed her because she couldn't keep food on a spoon or fork and she couldn't hold a cup or a glass. She could no longer read and finally it became hard for her to even watch television because the tremors were so severe. I am on three medications for the tremors and it seems to be helping but if I start to get as bad as my mother I would actually consider the brain surgery to control the tremors. There is a movement disorder clinic within three miles from my house with several specialists so I feel comfortable that I am getting the best care available at this time. At least this is a benign condition and is not terminal and for that I am very grateful.
I was diagnosed with essential tremor in 2018. Since then I have taken gabapentin (which did not help), primidone (which helps some), and a cala trio bracelet (which has helped the most). My tremors are mild, but does cause me problems in doing many things, such as brushing my teeth, using a hot curling iron to do my hair, buttoning clothes, clipping my nails, many other things. Due to the mildness of my tremors, I am adjusting. The cala trio bracelet seems to calm the shakes, I use it 3-4 times per day. I currently take 2 100 MG tablets of primidone daily, at night since it does make me sleepy. The cala trio bracelet has adjustments on it from 75 to 700, am currently using it in the 450 range. An electrical shock can be felt as it travels into my thumb and hand area. If my tremors do not increase significantly in the coming years, I can life with them.
I've had it since I was in my 40's and it is frustrating but I'm like you I could have many worse health problems. I am very social and when I have to eat out it can be embarrassing because eating with silverware can be a challenge. Some might not approve of this but I take a strong drink of alcohol prior to dinner and by the time the food comes I'm fine to eat soup or anything else. There are just so many side affects from the meds I don't want to have to take them till I absolutely have to.